


The Forthcoming Election

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-02-02
Packaged: 2018-03-10 04:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3277487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone has been defacing election posters</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Forthcoming Election

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sentinel Thursday, prompt reason
> 
> Basically just a bit of silliness...

"But there's no reason for it!" Jim's voice was getting increasingly irritated.

"Jim, you might think that, I might think that, Simon surely does - but there's got to be a reason," Blair said reasonably. "Nobody does anything without a reason. Mightn't be something that would motivate you or me - or 99.99% of the world's over-population - but for the perp, there's a reason. One that for him is valid."

"So someone who wandered all over Cascade last night, with an election coming up, sticking a bird's head over the head of one of the main candidates - the present mayor - and a donkey's head over another one has a valid reason for it?"

"Valid to him," Blair said. "He obviously thinks Rutherford is an ass - and really, I wouldn't argue with that, considering some of the things he's suggested be made law - "

Jim snorted as he tried to smother his laugh. Over the years, Gregor Rutherford had proposed some of the stupidest 'regulations' ever to hit Cascade - luckily none of them had been passed into law - while at the same time proving to be surprisingly level-headed when it came to supporting the provision of extra finance for schools, the police, the fire service... But for that, he'd have been laughed out of politics years previously. Privately, Jim suspected that the 'crazy laws' he proposed were an attempt to lighten people's lives, give them the chance to laugh at politicians who, in general, took themselves far, far too seriously. However, he couldn't believe that anyone who took politics seriously would see that, and would, in fact, consider Rutherford something of an ass.

"So what's the bird is supposed to represent?" Jim managed. "I can see what he has against Rutherford, but I can't think what this guy has against Kinnear."

Blair looked at the picture of the bird's head again, and shook his head. Yet this was why the case had been handed to Major Crime; Mayor Kinnear had taken the 'bird' very, very personally.

"Hi, guys," Megan said as she passed them. She paused, glancing at the picture. "What's with the picture of the kookaburra?"

"Kooka... Laughing jackass?" Blair said.

"It's been called that, yes," Megan agreed.

"Ass versus laughing jackass," Blair said. "Boy, this perp really doesn't like either of these guys."

"The kookaburra's a very nice bird," Megan said. "It's one of the kingfishers - "

"That's the link!" Blair said. "Kinnear wants all fishing bans cancelled, let anyone fish anywhere, catch as many fish as they want... "

"Forget catch and release, and when the numbers of fish reach extinction point, complain that 'someone didn't do anything about it' - not for the sake of the fish but because the anglers aren't catching anything," Jim muttered.

"It's too subtle," Blair said. "People looking at the doctored posters aren't going to get it."

"It could also be the equivalent of flipping him the bird," Jim suggested.

Blair thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "Probably. Any bird would do for that, but the kookaburra makes the fishing point as well."

"Still doesn't tell us who was responsible," Jim said. 

"I'd guess John Somerfield." Blair named the third main candidate. "Probably not personally, but he's hired someone. But whoever it was had to get those pictures printed - it shouldn't be too difficult to find out who got a lot of pictures of a donkey and a kookaburra printed."

"Not too clever, if it was him," Jim commented.

"Yeah, he should have doctored his own pictures too - okay, maybe with something like an eagle to make himself look good beside the other two - but there's your reason. Make a laughing stock of the opposition in the hope that the undecided voter chooses you." 

"Well," Jim said, "if we can prove he got those pictures printed, he won't stand a chance. Come on, Chief - we have some printing firms to visit!"


End file.
